notes from Terry Ann

APQ 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge

Make a pillowcase and make a difference! The American Patchwork and Quilting 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge is a chance to enjoy both sewing and giving. Donate your pillowcases to help out in your own community - or check this list for ideas of where to donate. 

Get creative with the winning pillowcase from the APQ Pinterest challenge. The winning train pillowcase is just one of 35 free pillowcase patterns from APQ.

My train was inspired by my fabric, "Summersville" by Lucie Summers for Moda. I used the engine and caboose from the APQ Train Pillowcase pattern, and added some alphabet train cars in between. Download Alphabet train letters 

Instead of following the sewing directions in the pattern, I used the easy "tube" method in this video to stitch my contrast band to the main color.  I arranged my train cars 3" up from the edge and fused them in place.

After stitching the rick rack down I zig-zagged around all of the train cars. Using a darning foot, I stitched spokes on each wheel. To complete the pillowcase, I stitched the side seams.

Are you ready to join the challenge? What kind of train will your fabric inspire you to make?

Sweetgrass baskets

Have you ever driven along the sweetgrass basket highway? On Hwy 17 near Charleston SC, there are sweetgrass basket stands lining the road. Kirk thought one was enough, but I talked him into stopping several times. My favorite was Mazie Brown's.

Mazie has an outgoing personality and a great smile even though I didn't catch it on camera. It was fun to watch her making a sweetgrass basket! Mazie learned from her mother and she made her first basket when she was eight years old.

Here she's concentrating on explaining how the basket is made. Mazie wraps palmetto strands tightly around sweetgrass to make each row. Notice the spoon handle in her lap - she pokes it between the strands of the previous row to make space to slide the palmetto through and connect the rows.

These are her ingredients: sweetgrass, palmetto and bullrushes. Pine needles are woven in for color. Years ago, bulrushes were used for work baskets because they're hollow and much lighter weight. Sweetgrass is now used for household and decorative baskets. The baskets are green when first made and the color changes to a light tan as they dry.

I liked the 2 loop basket -perfect for dinner rolls!It took Mazie about three days to make this basket.